A Short Summary of Islamic Beliefs and Eschatology

Collected by Lambert Dolphin

Islam has a world-following in excess of one billion devotees, about
20% are in the Middle East, with the largest concentration of Muslims in
Indonesia. There are over 4 million Moslems living in America---which means
that there are about twice as many Moslems in the US as Episcopalians! There
has been an active Muslim contingent in North America for over 300 years,
since the time the religion arrived with West African slaves.

The Arabic term islam literally means "surrender," or "submission."
Islam's believers (known as "Muslims" from the active participle
of "islam"), accept surrender to the will of Allah (the Arabic
word for God). Allah is viewed as a unique God---creator, sustainer, and
restorer of the world. The will of God, to which man is to submit, is made
known through the Qur'an (the Koran), revealed to his messenger Muhammad.
Muhammad, it is claimed was the last of the great prophets which included
Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus and some others. The basic belief of Islam is expressed
in the shahadah, the Muslim confession of faith, "There is no god but
God; Muhammad is the prophet of God."

Founded in the 7th century AD, Islamic fundamental beliefs include belief
in angels, the revealed books and Scriptures, a series of prophets, and
a Last Day (of Judgment). Muslim duties include five daily prayers, a welfare
tax called zakat, fasting (during the month of Ramadan), and a pilgrimage
(hajj) to Mecca; these four elements plus the profession of faith are called
the Five Pillars.

The Encyclopedia Britannica is a good resource for understanding
the roots of Islam. Mecca at the time the prophet was born was inhabited
by the tribe of Quraysh (Koreish) to which the clan of Hasim belonged. The
city was a mercantile center with shrines to many gods, chief of whom was
Ilah. The Ka'bah sanctuary in the city square guaranteed the safety of those
who came to trade. The pre-Islamic deities of Arabia which were most venerated
were astral deities, especially the triad of the moon god, the sun goddess,
and the god associated with the planet Venus. The moon god was the chief
and was protector of the cities. These deities were given various names,
however the moon god was evidently originally the Babylonian moon god Sin.
To end division among his people in Mecca, Muhammad elevated the moon god
Al Ilah to the chief and only god. (It is not widely known in Islam that
Allah was a sexual being, having fathered three daughters--this is documented
in the E.B.).

Among the visitors and residents of Mecca in the time of the prophet
were Jews as well as Christians. Muhammad's thinking was further heavily
influenced by these followers of Abraham, as well as by special revelations
which were (it is said) communicated to him by the angel Gabriel. The God
of Abraham was not Ilah, however, but Yahweh. Abraham was called by Yahweh
from Ur of the Chaldees (Babylon) and told to renounce the pagan gods of
his family which were the gods of Babylon. In fact Babylon was the seat
of all false religion after the Flood of Noah and from Babylon idolatry
spread throughout the rest of the ancient world. Muhammad assigned to the
moon god of Mecca some of the attributes of the god of Abraham, however
the pagan and occultic roots of pre-Islamic religion were not discarded.
Alexander Hislop's classic book The Two Babylons remains a good reference
on the Babylonian Mystery Religion which has now permeated all the world.

Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hasim was
persecuted for his teachings in Mecca and fled to Medina in 622 AD, his
teachings were soon accepted and the community-state of Islam emerged. From
the date of Muhammad's flight, called the hijrah, Muslims begin their calendar---AH
(Anno Hegirae) 287 is the same as AD (Anno Domini) 900. During the early
period Islam acquired its characteristic ethos as a religion uniting itself
in both the spiritual and temporal aspects of life and seeking to regulate
not only the individual's relationship to God but human relationships in
a social setting as well. Thus, there is not only an Islamic religious institution
(private) but also an Islamic code/law governing society (public).

This dual religious and social character of Islam, expressing itself as
a religious community commissioned by God to bring its own value system
to the world through jihad (holy war or holy struggle).

Muhammad died in 632 AD and through jihad, Islam spread within a century
from Spain to India. During the Muslim conquests Jews and Christians were
assigned a special status as communities possessing Scriptures and are known
to Muslims as "people of the Book" (ahl al-kitab) or dhimmis (protected
people). Christians, Jews, and later Hindus and Zoroastrians were allowed
religious autonomy, but had to pay a per capita tax called the jizyah. Many
people converted to Islam to avoid the jizyah tax. In the 12 century the
Muslim mystics, known as Sufis, were primarily responsible for spreading
Islam to India, China, Central Asia, Turkey, and sub-Saharan Africa. Islamic
traders were responsible (by the 14th century) for extending Islam to Indonesia,
Malaya, and China.

Under Islam, land once possessed by Islam, if subsequently lost to an invader,
remains land that is holy to Islam. It is especially imperative that such
lost lands be restored to the rightful rule of Islam. Historically, of course,
such lost lands now lost to Islam include not only Israel but large portions
of Southern Europe, Spain and North Africa. Since Allah's will is for the
entire world to come under subjection to the rule of Islam, Muslims are
known for their zeal in spreading their religion, whether by peaceful means
or by the sword.

Islamic doctrine/law/thinking are based upon fundamental principals/sources:
the Qur'an, the sunnah (traditions), the ijma (community consensus), and
ijtihad (individual thought).

The Qur'an (which is Arabic for reading or recitation) is regarded by Muslims
as The Word Of God, delivered to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. The Qur'an
is divided into 114 surahs (chapters), the early surahs revealed in Mecca
are ethical and spiritual teachings and the Day of Judgment, whereas the
later surahs are concerned with social legislation and the politico-moral
principals of community.

The sunnah (a clear and well-trodden path, of traditions) denote tribal/common
law and the examples of the Prophet, his words and deeds. Six collections
of the Hadith (a collection of the sayings of Muhammad) compiled in the
3rd century AH (9th century AD) are regarded as especially authoritative
by the Sunni Muslims; whereas Shi'ah Muslims have a different set of sayings
in their Hadith.

The ijma standardizes Islamic law and since the 3rd century AH, have been
primarily closed to further interpretation. Accepted interpretations of
the Qur'an and the actual content of the sunnah all rest finally upon the
ijma. The transformation of the ijma into a conservative mechanism and the
acceptance of a definitive body of Hadith virtually eliminated ijtihad (individual
thought).

The Islamic doctrine of God, expressed in the Qur'an is rigorously monotheistic:
God is one and unique; he has no partner or equal. Trinitarianism, the Christian
belief that God is three persons in one substance, is vigorously repudiated
by Muslims. Muslims believe although Allah's presence is everywhere, he
does not indwell anything or anyone. He is the sole Creator, and sustainer
of the universe, wherein every creature bears witness to his lordship and
unity. He is also just, merciful, majestic, sovereign, and has endowed every
creation with a definite and defined nature which allows the myriad of creation
to function as a whole. This "nature" of creation, sets limits;
and the limitedness of everything is one of the most fixed points in both
the cosmology and the theology of the Qur'an.

According to the Qur'an, God created two apparently parallel species, man
and jinn. Man was created from clay and jinn was created from fire. The
jinn are endowed with reason and responsibility but are more prone to evil
than man. The Qur'an is primarily directed at man, and is self described
as the guide for the human race. Despite man's lofty position, the Qur'an
describes human nature as frail and faltering. Man is viewed as rebellious
and full of pride, arrogating to himself the attributes of self-sufficiency.
Pride, thus, is viewed as the cardinal sin of man, because by not recognizing
in himself his essential creaturely limitations he becomes guilty of ascribing
to himself partnership with God and thereby violating the unity of God.
True faith (identified as iman), consists of belief in the immaculate Divine
Unity and Islam is in one's submission to the Divine will.

According to the Qur'an, the being who became Satan had previously occupied
a high station but fell from grace by refusing to honour Adam when ordered
by Allah to do so. Since then, Satan's work has been to beguile man into
error and sin. Satan is a contemporary of man, and his act of disobedience
is construed to be the sin of pride. Satan's machinations will cease on
the Last Day.

The Qur'an reveals that messengers from God have, throughout history, been
calling man back to God; yet few men have accepted the truth; most have
rejected it and have become disbelievers (the kafir, the ungrateful). In
Islam there is no point of no return, God is always willing to offer pardon
based upon genuine repentance.

All prophets of Islam are human and never part of divinity; they are simply
recipients of revelation form God. God never speaks directly to man, he
sends angels or inspiration.

In Islamic doctrine, on the Last Day when the world will come to an end,
the dead will be resurrected and judgment will be pronounced on every person
in accordance with his deeds. Those condemned will burn in hellfire, and
those saved will enjoy the abiding pleasures of paradise. Besides suffering
in physical fire, the damned will also experience a fire "in their
hearts"; similarly, the blessed, besides physical enjoyment, will experience
the greatest happiness of divine pleasure.

In Islamic life hoarding of wealth without recognizing the rights of the
poor is threatened with the direst punishments in the hereafter and is declared
to be one of the main causes of the decay of societies in this world. The
practice of usury is forbidden. Islam is the concept of the community of
the faithful.

The mission of the community of the faithful is to "enjoin good and
forbid evil" so that "there is no mischief and corruption"
on earth, the doctrine of jihad, in view of the constitutional of the community
as the power base is the logical outcome. The objective of jihad is not
the conversion of individuals to Islam, but rather gaining of political
control over the collective affairs of societies to run them in accordance
with the principles of Islam. Individual conversion occurs as a by-product
of the power structure of the community passing to the hands of the Muslim
community. Under Islam, it is forbidden to wage wars for the sake of acquiring
worldly glory, power, or rule. The Muslim sect of Kharijite once held that
"decision belongs to God alone," and insisted on waging continuous
and relentless jihad, but the followers of this sect were virtually destroyed
during the internecine wars of the 8th century.

The Kharijis sect (and the more moderate Ibadis sect) believed that the
basis of rule was righteous character and piety, any Muslim, irrespective
of race creed or colour could become ruler-provided he or she satisfy the
conditions of piety. This is in contrast to the claims of the Shi'ah that
the ruler must belong to the family of the Prophet, and in contrast to the
Sunnis that the head of state must belong to the Prophet's tribe. Sunni
political theory is essentially a product of circumstance-an after-the-fact
rationalization of historical developments. Thus, between the Shi'ah legitimism
that restricts rule to Ali's family, and the Kharji democratism, Sunnism
holds to the position that the rule belongs to the Quraysh (the Prophet's
tribe), the condition that actually existed.

The Sunni sect embraces the principle of toleration, making it possible
for diverse sects to recognize and coexist with one another. Sunni theologians
place emphasis on divine omnipotence at the expense of the freedom and efficacy
of the human will, a deterministic outlook on life characteristic of the
Sunni (and invigorated by the Sufi) teaches that nothing exists except God.
The Sunnites support the concept that "Muslims must obey even a tyrannical
ruler."

The Shi'ah, probably under Gnostic and old Iranian influences, expanded
their belief that the ruler must be from the family of the Prophet, and
that the perfect leader (imam) is transformed into a metaphysical manifestation
of God. The imam, alone, is infallible and can reveal the hidden and true
meaning of the Qur'an. The Shi'ah recognize a dozen imams throughout history
and believe that knowledge derived from sources other than the imam is useless.
Shi'ism in contrast to Sunnism adopted the doctrine of freedom of the human
will and the capacity of human reason to know good and evil. In the sphere
of law Shi'ism differs from Sunni law mainly in allowing temporary marriage,
legally contracted for a fixed period of time based upon a fixed dower.

From a spiritual point of view, perhaps the greatest difference between
Shi'ism and Sunnism is the Shi'ah concept of the "passion motive."
The violent death of Ali's son, Husayn, in 680 AD, at the hands of Umayyad
troops is celebrated by the Shi'ah with moving orations, passion plays,
and processions in which the participants (in an emotional frenzy of self-flagellation)
beat their breasts with heavy chains and sharp objects.

The cities of Mecca and Medina are holy shrines of Islam. The fifth pillar
of Islam, the pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca, begins on the 7th and ends on
the 10th month of the Dhu al-Hijjah. When the pilgrim is ten kilometers
from the Holy City (Mecca) he enters the state of ihram, he wears two seamless
garments and neither shaves nor cuts his hair or nails until the ceremony
ends. The principal activities consist of a visit to the Ka'bah sanctuary
or the Sacred Mosque; the kissing of the Hajar al-Aswad (the Black Stone);
seven circumambulations of the Ka'bah; and the ascent of and running seven
times between Mt. Safa and Mt. Marwah (not really mountains but topographic
elevations in the desert). At the second stage of the ritual, the pilgrim
proceeds from Mecca to Mina, a few miles away; and from there he goes to
Arafat, where it is essential to hear a sermon and spend one afternoon.
The last rites consist of spending the night at Muzdalifah (between Arafat
and Mina) and offering sacrifice on the last day of ihram, which is the
id (festival) of sacrifice.

The sacred places of Islam include: the Ka'bah sanctuary at Mecca built
by Abraham; the Prophet's mosque in Medina; and Jerusalem from where Muhammad
(mi'raj) ascended to heaven (which was the direction to which the early
Moslems prayed before the "qiblah" was changed to the Ka'bah in
Mecca). For the Shi'ah, Karbala in Iraq (the place of martyrdom of Ali's
son, Husayn) and Meshed in Iran (where Imam Ali ar-Rida is buried) are considered
places of special veneration. In Baghdad the tomb of saint Abd al-Qadir
al-Jilani is visited every year by pilgrims from throughout the Muslim world,
as are numerous Sufi shrines.

The general religious life of the Muslims is centered around the mosque.
Friday is the weekly Muslim holy day. The most important and comprehensive
concept of Islam, at the practical level, is that of the Shari'ah (the path
leading to the watering place). In religious terms it means the highway
of life leading to God.

The virtue of chastity is regarded as of prime importance by Islam. The
Qur'an advanced its universal recommendation of marriage as a means to ensure
a state of chastity (ihsan) which is held to be induced by a single free
wife. Adultery and false accusations of adultery are severely punished.

With regard to Islamic art, the most important principal is aniconism, the
prohibition of figurization and representation of living creatures. Underlying
this prohibition is the assumption that God is the sole author of life and
that a person who makes a picture of a living being seeks to rival God.
Architecture and poetry are the richest of the Islamic art forms.

Perhaps the least understood element of Islam is the doctrine of jihad (holy
war). The classical Islamic position holds that the world is divided into
three spheres: the zone of Islam (dar al-Islam); the zone of peace (dar
as-sulh---those nations with whom Muslim nations have peace pacts); and
the zone of war (dar al-harb---the rest of the world). In modern times the
jihad has appeared primarily as a defense against colonialism, rather than
as a program of offense.

In classical Islamic law, Shari'ah, offenses against the person, from homicide
to assault, are punishable by retaliation---the offended being subject to
precisely the same treatment as the victim. For six specific crimes the
punishment is fixed (hadd): death for apostasy (renunciation of religious
faith) and for highway robbery; amputation of the hand for theft; death
by stoning for extramarital sexual relations where the offender is a married
person and 100 lashes for unmarried offenders; 80 lashes for an unproven
accusation of unchastity/adultery, or for consumption of any alcoholic beverage.

Islamic belief has obviously drawn heavily on information available to the
prophet Muhammed from local Jews and Christians living in Arabia during
his. The principle claim that the revelation given to the Prophet came from
an angel is not unusual among world religions or cults, and is consistent
with the warning of the Apostle Paul given in 2 Corinthians.

"I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ
to present you as a pure bride to her one husband. But I am afraid that
as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray
from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ...And what I do I will continue
to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim
that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For
such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as
apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as
an angel of light. So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves
as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
(11:1-15)

Islam attributes mercy and compassion to Allah, but has no provision
for the certain salvation of the individual, no sacrifice for sin and of
course no risen Lord to indwell and guide the believer through this life
and the next. Allah is notoriously unpredictable and whimsical in his actions
and the Koran sufficiently vague so as to give little assurance or guidance
for daily life beyond strong, harsh legalistic restrictions and punishments
taken out of context from the Law of Moses. On many points Islam differs
radically from Christianity. To cite but one important instance, the church
of Jesus Christ is not to bear the sword, nor to ally itself with the state,
but to concentrate on "calling out (of the world) a people for His
name." Orthodox Christianity proclaims the coming of the kingdom of
God among men, but not Christian Dominionism. Compassion, understanding
and tolerance is to be extended to everyone, not from an attitude of superiority,
but of service, following the example of her Lord who said, "The Son
of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom
for many"; and, "The Son of man came to seek and to save that
which was lost." God will see to it that His rule on earth eventually
is universal, but in the meantime He is full of mercy and very longsuffering
towards all the sons of Adam.

Islam's claim as far as Israel is concerned is to assume (without any Biblical
basis of course) that Ishmael, not Isaac, is the legitimate heir to whom
the Abrahamic promises were passed.

Islamic Eschatology

Although not commonly appreciated by most Christians and Jews, the various
sects of Islam, in their oral tradition, and from the Koran, maintain a
complex and intricate eschatology dealing with the end of the age and the
coming of a great world leader, or Mahdi. The center of these events at
the end of the age is Jerusalem, not Mecca, and Jesus is one of the principle
participants in the coming great judgment, according to Muslim belief.

Since the destruction of the Second Jewish Temple in 70 AD, Jews have been
unable to offer any blood sacrifice for sins, however the Moslems observe
to this day an annual sacrifice of many thousands of lambs which are slain
during the pilgrimage to Mecca:

"Midway through the pilgrimage rites, pilgrims move into tents
outside the city of Mecca for the ceremony of standing in the Valley of
Arafat at the foot of the Mount of Mercy. This celebrated standing ceremony,
which lasts throughout an entire afternoon, creates in the minds of the
devout a profound sense of the presence of God in their lives and of divine
forgiveness of their sins. They remember, too, that Muhammad visited this
spot and preached here on his final pilgrimage. So meaningful is this ceremony
that many authorities regard it as the climactic or central event of the
entire pilgrimage. In the evening, pilgrims gather forty-nine small stones
which they take to Mina the next morning, in order to hurl them at one
of three stone pillars representing the devil and his powers of temptation.
By this rite (Jamrat) they recall the way Ishmael, on his way to be sacrificed
by his father (Muslim tradition substitutes Ishmael for Isaac as the son
whom Abraham nearly sacrificed), turned back the suggestions of Iblis that
he flee."

"The slaughtering of a small animal on the field of sacrifice is a
way of remembering that Allah accepted Abraham's sacrifice of a ram in
place of his son." (Quoted from Islam: A Survey of the Muslim
Faith by C. George Fry and James R. King, Babwer Press, Grand Rapids,
1980)

Muslim belief draws more on Old Testament Jewish belief than on Christian
influence, though both Jewish synagogues and Christian assemblies existed
in Arabia when the Prophet received the angelic revelations which lead him
to write the Koran.

"Christians are interested to learn of the high regard Muslims
have for Jesus (Isa, in Arabic). Jesus, it is taught, was born of a virgin,
without human father, and lived a sinless life. He is given titles of honor
bestowed on no other prophet and He is pictured as a wandering preacher
who performed miracles and spoke beautiful words. To Him was given a book
for His people, the Gospel, but the book was lost (or hopelessly distorted)
and Jesus Himself was rejected. His people attempted to crucify Him, but
Jesus was saved when someone took His place on the cross or tree and He
ascended into heaven, having promised to send a comforter (Muhammad)."

"In Muslim piety many legends surround Jesus. Some Muslims believe
that at some time in the distant future He will return to earth and marry.
A grave site has been reserved for Him. Others declare that Jesus will
judge the world at the end of time--or that He will help Muhammad with
his work of judgment. Still another tradition, from the Ahmadiyya Muslims
of South Asia, has it that Christ fled Palestine for India, where He gathered
many followers, died at a ripe old age, and was buried at Srinagar, where
His tomb was recently uncovered." (Fry and King, op. cit.)

A recent study of Muslim beliefs concerning the end time says:

"The Imamite doctrine of the Mahdi at one point merges with the
return of Jesus, another prominent figure of Islamic eschatology. The doctrine
of the return of Jesus, as described in the Sunnite sources and cited by
the Shiite traditionists is explained in a more or less uniform manner."

"He will descend in the Holy Land at a place called Afiq with a spear
in his hand; he will kill with it al-Dajjal (the Antichrist of Islamic
eschatology) and go to Jerusalem at the time of the morning prayer. The
Imam will seek to yield his place to him, but Jesus will refuse and will
worship behind him according to the Sharia of Muhammad. Thereafter he will
kill the swine, break the cross, and kill all the Christians who do not
believe in him. Once al-Dajjal is killed, all the Peoples of the Book (i.e.,
Jews and Christians) will believe in him and will form one single umma
of those who submit to the will of God. Jesus will establish the rule of
justice and will remain for forty years, after which he will die. His funeral
will take place in Medina, where he will be buried beside Muhammad, in
a place between Abu Bakr and Umar."

"The Muslim eschatological tradition is unanimous in assigning to
both Jesus and the Mahdi a significant role in the doctrine of the qiyama
(resurrection). As a matter of fact, many exegetes of the Quran in explaining
the verse, "He (Jesus) is surely a knowledge of the Hour" (43:61),
state that the descent of Jesus during the rulership of the Mahdi will
make the approach of the Hour known. In the development of the eschatological
role of the Mahdi in Shiite traditions, much emphasis was laid on the function
of the Mahdi as the descendant of Muhammad and the Imam, who will be followed
in the prayer by Jesus. The latter point is repeatedly emphasized in the
Shiite eschatological tradition. This distinguished the roles of the Mahdi
and Jesus, which at times became confusingly alike. On the other hand,
some Sunnites, in their polemics against the Shiites, related a tradition
attributed to the Prophet: 'There is no Mahdi save Jesus, son of Mary.'
This tradition was evidently used to undermine the chiliastic hopes of
the Shiites and to minimize the eschatological importance of the Mahdi,
which was emphatically maintained by the Shiites. The group who used the
above tradition in their polemics argued that while there was no mention
of Mahdi in the Ouran, the return of Jesus was well established in the
signs of the Hour, and he, not the Mahdi, would kill the Dajjal.

"In the Shiite traditions the function of killing the Dajjal is reserved
for al-Mahdi. In a long tradition Ali is reported to have answered a question
regarding al-Dajjal, whose features are vividly described thus: He is one-eyed,
his eye being in his forehead and shining like the morning star. On his
forehead is written: "This is the kafir (non-believer)," which
will be legible to both literate and illiterate persons. His emergence
will be preceded by a time of great hardship. Then Ali describes the manner
in which he will appear on a donkey, and his call will be heard from one
end of the earth to the other. He will tell the people that he is their
creator and their lord.

"Those who follow him on that day will be the enemies of God, who
will be wearing something green on their heads. God will cause them to
be killed in Syria at a spot named Afiq, on Friday, three hours after the
sunrise, at the hands of the one behind whom Jesus will worship. Beware
that his death will be followed by a great event. This great event is the
revolution of the twelfth Imam, commencing from the direction of Safa in
the precinct of the Keba. Thereafter no repentance will be accepted. Al-Dajjal's
role at the End of Time is almost identical with that of Satan, as explained
in traditional sources, because he will tempt people by bringing food and
water, which will be scarce at that time. The Prophet is reported to have
said that since the time of Noah there has been no umma on earth who did
not fear al-Dajjal and his temptations; every prophet has warned his community
against this tempter. The episode of al-Dajjal's emergence, at the time
of the zuhur, has been interpreted as a test for sifting the true believers
of God from the false ones," (From Abdulazziz Abdulhussein Sachedina
in his book, Islamic Messanism, State University of New York
Press, Albany, New York, 1981).

In their book The Islamic Understanding of Death and Resurrection,
Jane Idleman Smith and Yvonne Yaybeck Haddad, State University Press of
Albany, New York (1981) quote from an earlier work, The Religion of Islam,
by Ahmad Galwash:

"It has been well known (and generally accepted) by all Muslims
in every epoch, that at the end of time a man from the family (of the Prophet)
will without fail make his appearance, one who will strengthen the religion
and make justice triumph. The Muslims will follow him, and he will gain
domination over the Muslim realm. He will be called the Mahdi. Following
him, the Antichrist will appear, together with all the subsequent signs
of the Hour (the Day of Judgment), as established in (the sound tradition)
the Sahih. After (the Mahdi), Isa (Jesus) will descend and kill the Antichrist;
or, Jesus will descend together with the Mahdi, and help him kill (the
Antichrist), and have him as the leader in his prayers."

One can not expect that all Moslems everywhere are so well read in matters
of their own faith that they all have worked out a personal view of eschatology.
But what is interesting is that Islam does has a belief system about the
end of the ages, the coming of a great Iman Mahdi, a great judgment, a heaven
and hell, and a God who is basically merciful and compassionate.

As we approach the end of the age and consider the building of a Third Jewish
Temple in Jerusalem as well as mounting messianic expectations in Israel,
it is interesting to consider the possibility that a charismatic, religiously
persuasive, and inspiring Jewish false messiah might conceivably also fulfill
Muslim expectations for their own long-awaited Mahdi and thus expedite the
final false and misleading Middle Eastern peace treaty spoken of by the
ancient Hebrew prophets.

The end of the age we live in is marked by deception on a world-wide scale-because
truth has been so widely and universally rejected by mankind. This is the
clear statement of Paul when he speaks about the appearing of the man of
sin:

"Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come,
unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed,
the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called
god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God
(in Jerusalem), proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that
when I was still with you I told you this? And you know what is restraining
him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness
is already at work; only he who now restrains it will do so until he is
out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed (unveiled), and
the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him
by his appearing and his coming. The coming of the lawless one by the activity
of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, and
with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused
to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends upon them a strong
delusion, to make them believe what is false (lit: "the lie"),
so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure
in unrighteousness. (2:3-12)

Arabic Inscriptions in The Dome of The Rock in Jerusalem

From the Muslim point of view the Islamic shrine known as the Dome of
the Rock built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is an answer to, and a denial
of, the attractions of Christianity and its Scriptures, providing the "faithful"
of Islam with arguments to be used against Christian theology. The inscriptions
are seven hundred and thirty-four feet long in all, amongst the lengthiest
inscriptions in the world. There is a great amount of repetition and many
quotations from the Koran.

The following extracts are relevant:

Inner Face: South Wall. "In the name of Allah the Merciful
the Compassionate. There is no God but Allah alone; he has no co-partner.
He is the Kingship and His the praise. He giveth life and He causeth to
die, and He hath power over everything."

South-East Wall. "Verily Allah and His angels pronounce blessing
upon the Prophet. O ye who have pronounced blessings upon Him and give
Him the salutation of peace. O, People of the Book (i.e. the Jews and Christians,
always referred to as such by the Moslems -Ed.) do not go beyond the bounds
in your religion and do not say about Allah anything but the truth. The
Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is but a messenger of Allah and His word which
he cast upon Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe only in Allah and
of his messenger, but do not say 'Three' (Trinity) and it will be better
for you. Allah is only one God. Far be it from His glory that he should
have a son."

North Wall. "The Messiah will not deign to be in the service
of Allah nor will the angels who stand in his presence. O Allah; pray upon
Thy messenger "the servant Jesus---(N-W Wall) the son of Mary
and peace be upon him the day of his birth, the day of his death and the
day of his being raised alive. That is Jesus, son of Mary---a statement
concerning which YOU are in doubt. It is not for Allah to take for Himself
any offspring, glory be to Him."

West Wall. "Allah bears witness that there is no God but Him,
likewise the angels and the people possessed of knowledge," (S-W
Wall)---Upholding justice. There is no God but He, the Almighty and
All wise. Verily, the religion in Allah's sight is Islam."

Outer Face: West and North-West Walls. "In the name of Allah
the Merciful and Compassionate. There is no God but Allah alone. Praise
be to Allah who hath not taken to himself offspring. To Him there has never
been any person in the sovereignty. Mohammed is the messenger of Allah,
may God pray upon Him and accept his intercession."

"Praise be God who has not taken unto himself a son and who has no
partner in sovereignty nor has He any protector on account of weakness."

If religious Jews are offended by the presence of this Islamic shrine
on their holy mountain, Christians have even more reasons to take offense
at these blasphemous statements about their God, and the deliberate insults
to Biblical revelation that the interior inscriptions clearly intend.

1990

Islam: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Islam?

The word "Islam" in Arabic Language means "submission"
& "peace" A Muslim is a person who submits to the will of Allah
and finds therein peace. Islam is derived from the Arabic word "salaam"
meaning peace.

Who are the Muslims? The common answer is "the Arabs." This is
a mistaken impression that is true only insofar as Islam arose among the
Arabs, its Prophet and many of its adherents were and are Arabs, and its
scripture, the Holy Quran, must be recited in original Arabic form. The
Arabs comprise only 25 % of the present population of Islam. They form majority
of the population in roughly thirty-six (36) countries and nearly half of
the population in five others. The estimated strength of Islam is estimated
to be one billion people, almost one fifth of world population. Islam is
the world's third largest religion, behind Christianity and Buddhism,and
its present rate of growth and vitality rivals both traditions.

Muslims represent many races and socioeconomic settings. There have been
however significant divisions of opinion within the umma (commonwealth of
Islam or Islamic Community). Despite these differences, Islam brings unity
by incorporating divergent interpretations of basic beliefs.

SUNNI: The recorded practice and teachings of Prophet Mohammad were early
regarded as his Sunnah, meaning 'path' or 'way.' These traditions became
powerful symbols for the Islamic religion, models of right belief and practice.
The collection of Prophet Mohammad's sayings are called "Hadith"
comprising Sunnah or "authoritative examples." These required
further interpretations and application to a variety of situations of everyday
life.

Majority of Muslims following Sunnah of Prophet Mohammad are termed "Sunnis."
Islam developed four schools of jurisprudence whose functions were to decide
upon the proper application of Holy Quran and Sunnah to virtually all aspects
of life of the community. Each of the four schools takes its name from early
jurist to whom later followers trace many of the school's distinctive opinions.
The four schools are:

The learned scholars of law are called "Ulema."They are highly
respected for their learning in the religious sciences. Islam has no clergy
or priesthood as such. The basic principles of Islamic Law are established
by the following:

i) The Holy Quran
ii) The Prophet's Sunnah
iii) The learned consensus of Ulema
iv) Reasoning by analogy from accepted interpretations of i) & ii) to new
problems not directly addressed therein.

All of the four above form a concept of revelation of God's will to the
community of Islam. This concept is called, Shari'a, it is more than scripture,
it implies a composite source of teaching and practice involving the Holy
Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad and authoritative human interpretation
and application.

SHI'IA: A significant minority of Muslims, 10-15 %, differ on certain religious
and political matters almost since the beginning of Islam. They are known
as Shi'ia 's. The historical and religious differences do not obscure the
broad lines of agreement between Shi'ias and Sunnis.

Shi'ias differ little from Sunnis in belief and practice. Their differences
lie mainly in the modes of leadership and piety. Although Islam united the
Arabs of North and South under the same banner but the cultural and traditional
differences remained strong and surfaced at the time of choosing the successors
of Prophet Muhammad after His death. The majority believed in choosing from
the closest companions of Prophet Muhammad while others sought guidance
in political and religous matters from Hazart Ali, Prophet Muhammad's cousin
and son-in-law. Hazart Ali was chosen as the fourth Caliph (leader of Islamic
community) but was assassinated in 661. The civil strife that resulted left
and indelible mark upon Islamic Umma (community).

Shi'ias believe Prophet Muhammad passed on a significant part of his teachings
directly to Hazart Ali, and hence to subsequent Imams ( sprititual leaders).
Although the twelfth and last Imam disappeared late in the ninth century,
expected to return before the Judgement Day. The Shia Ulema carry on the
distinctive teachings and interpretations they trace back through the Imams
to Prophet Muhammad. The teachings of the sixth Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq (d.765)
became the basis of Jafari schools among Sunnis.

The emotional intensity that characterizes Shi'ia beliefs culminates on
the tenth day of Muharram (the first month of Islamic calendar). On this
date in Karbala, Iraq, in 680, Hazart Husayn, son of Hazart Ali and grandson
of Prophet Muhammad, was brutally murdered by troops of Ummayyad Caliph,Yazid.
For nine days, Yazid's troops besieged the camps and deprived Hazart Husayn
and his followers (72 of them) of any water. Remembering the tragedy of
Hazart Husayn on every year on 10th of Muharram is done by Sunnis as well
as Shi'ias.

Five Pillars Of Islam

The pillars of Islam are considered obligatory for all Muslims although
Sunni and Shia schools of law have slight variations.

The pillars of Islam play important roles in intellectual and social dimensions
of Islamic life. The five pillars of faith and practice are:

Islam is one of the three monotheistic religions to arise in the Middle
East; along with the other two - Judaism and Christianity- it stresses the
oneness and uniqueness of God. The world 'Allah' means 'The God.'

The second phrase of the Shahada declares that Muhammad is God's messenger
to humankind. Accepting the Judaeo-Christian Biblical tradition in large
part, Muslims believe that God had sent prophets and messengers to other
nations in the past with the same revealed message Muhammad was to recite
to the Arabs. Muhammad's mission brought the final positing of divine Truth,
and thus Muhammad is regarded as the "Seal of the Prophets."

SALAT: (Payer) Performing daily prayers is an act of communication between
humans and God. Five daily prayers are considered a duty for all Muslims,and
on these occasions preparations in ritual purity are required. The prayers
are Fajr (early morning before the sun rise), Zuhr (afternoon), Asr (later
afternoon), Maghrib (after sunset) and Isha (evening). The prayers must
be said while facing in the direction of Mecca. The congregational prayer
of Friday afternoon is compulsory and must be said in a Mosque, Muslim's
place of worship. There is a sermom and then the prayers in uniform rows.

ZAKAT: (Alms) The Zakat is a form of giving to those who are less fortunate.
It is obligatory upon all Muslims to give 2.5 % of wealth and assets each
year (in excess of what is required) to the poor. This is done before the
beginning of the month of Muharram, the first of new year. Giving the Zakat
is considered an act of worship because it is a form of offering thanks
to God for the means of material well-being one has acquired.

SAWM or SIYAM: (FASTING) Another form of offering thanks to God is fasting.
It is duty to all Muslims to fast during the ninth month of Islamic calendar,
Ramadan. During this month, Muslims refrain from food, drink during daylight.
Excepts are those ill health, pregnant women & travelers. One is to make
up lost days of fasting at a later time. The time of fasting is from just
before sunrise to just after sunset. The breaking of fast is joyous occasion.
Sawm during Ramadan or any time is recognized as physically demanding but
spiritually rewarding.

HAJJ: (Pilgrimage) The pilgrimage season begins in the tenth month, the
month following Ramadan, and lasts through the middle of twelveth month,
Dhu al-Hijja. This fifth pillar requires all Muslims who are physically
and financially capable to make Hajj to Mecca once during their lives. The
actual rites and prayers take place at the scred Ka'ba in Mecca and at nearby
locations. Muslims associate the origin of the Hajj and the founding of
the Ka'ba with the prophet Abraham. Nearly two million Muslims perform Hajj
each year.

JIHAD: (Striving) Although it is not a pillar of Islam but is a duty in
one form or another. The most common media misconception is of calling Jihad
a 'Holy War.' The general meaning of the term is "striving for moral
and religious perfection." The broader meaning of this term encompasses
one's life and community. The constant struggle of striving to remain on
the path of Islam by observing the above five pillars of Islam is Jihad.
One who strives is Mujahid.

Being a Mujahid, a striver for moral and religious perfection, involves
numerous forms of public and private devotion that charaterizes the 'practice'
of islam. This includes respecting the dietry laws against eating pork and
drinking alcohol, respecting parents and elders, helping to provide for
close relatives and kins, giving to the poor and disadvantaged. On the other
side, theft, murder, fornication, adultery, lying, cheating, wrongly accusing
or testifying are strictly forbidden by Shari'a (Islamic Law). In technical
sense, Islam means 'the pratice of the religious and social duties' outlined
above.

IMAN: (Faith) The faith, like Five Pillars, can be divided in six parts.
It means belief in the following:

Mohammed, the prophet and founder of Islam, was born in Mecca about AD 570. At the time of his birth, Arab tribes in Mecca and throughout the Arabian peninsula were polytheistic, with each tribe having its own local deity. A large black meteor found in the desert and believed to have been sent by astral deities was placed in the southeast corner of a cube-shaped structure (Kaaba) in Mecca and became the central shrine of Hubal, a chief male god among 36o other deities. Among these was al-Hajar al-Aswad, a nature deity who was symbolized by the black stone. The most prominent Meccan deities besides Hubal were his three sister goddesses al-Lat, al-Manat, and al-Uzza. Mohammed at first acknowledged these goddesses as deities (believing them to be daughters of Allah), but later said his thinking had been corrupted by Satan. Al-Lat (or Allat) is the feminine form of Allah, and is believed to have been the female counterpart of Allah.' The chief goddess of Mohammed's tribe of Quraysh was al-Uzza, to whom Mohammed's grandfather almost sacrificed Mohammed's father except for the counsel of a fortune-teller. The head of this pantheon was al-Ilah (literally "the god"), a vague high god (astral deity) who some believe was associated with the moon. Mohammed's father's name was Abd-Allah ("the slave of al-Ilah"), so it is evident that Mohammed was well acquainted with this deity. He was also familiar with the Najran tribe, which was predominately Christian and exercised significant influence in northern Arabia. It is believed that Mohammed was at one time a student of Christianity and that this explains the inclusion of Jesus, as well as the Jewish patriarchs, in the Qur'an.

Beginning in A.D. 610 Mohammed claimed to have received angelic revelations that al-Ilah (Allah) was the supreme god and had a message of warning.' Several years later Mohammed began to speak publicly as a prophet of Allah, but was rejected by the pagan Meccans. The intensity of the persecution to Mohammed and his followers grew through the years and forced him to flee to Medina in AD 622. This event, known as the Hijra ("Migration'), marked the beginning of the Islamic era. After gaining local favor and amassing an army, in AD 630 Mohammed returned to Mecca, conquered it, and made it the spiritual center of his new religion of Islam. The city's Kaaba stone was transformed from a pagan shrine to the focus of Muslim pilgrimage (Hadj). The Holy book of Islam is the Qur'an (or Koran), which is composed of the angelic message to Mohammed, revelatory books, and selected and "corrected" stories of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and David's psalms from the Old Testament and the story of Jesus (Arabic, Isa) from the New Testament. All of these are believed by Muslims to have been Muslims as well, even though they lived thousands of years before the birth of Mohammed! " The Hadith is another sacred book, which contains collected sayings and deeds of Mohammed, the last prophet.

Islam's god Allah is not the same as the God of Judaism or Christianity. Neither are its accounts of figures from the Jewish and Christian Bibles the same. Islam claims its version is correct and that all others have been corrupted. Christians, in particular, are said to be guilty of the unpardonable sin of shirk, which means to associate partners or companions to Allah. This accusation results from the Muslim misunderstanding of the Christian doctrine of the triune nature of the one God.

Islam, from its beginning, has been a religion of the sword (al Harb). The concept of Holy War (Jihad), mandated by Allah, requires Islam to completely subdue the earth through military conquest. The world is thus divided between Dar al-Islam ("House of Islam") and all areas yet unsubdued by Islam, Dar alHarb ("House of War"). All other religions and all other prophets after Mohammed are false, and all non-Muslims are infidels or dhimmi (tolerated minorities under Islamic rule-such as Jews and Christians). This controlling command eventually brought Islam to Israel, and is the reason for the Muslims' uncompromising control of the Temple Mount. ,